Chastity Makes the World Go Round

23 mayo, 2017

Br Joseph Ory, LC

As I was getting off the bus, two groups were getting on: joyful seminarians and beautiful college girls. I was taken aback at first, but that’s just an inevitable mix here in Rome where you have seminarians and lay people studying in the same university near the bus stop. I first noticed that all the seminarians were talking, joking, and laughing amongst themselves while the college girls also seemed content simply to be chatting amongst themselves, sharing something on their phones now and then. It was normal. Two normal groups of very different people who happened to be getting on the bus at the same time. Neither felt the need to avoid the other group or to disrupt their conversation to approach the other group.

Then I started to think to myself, “how is it possible that these young men can continue to live their vow of celibacy with these young women right there?” As admirable as celibacy is, I then realized that not only did the seminarians have to live chastely to continue living their normal life in the seminary, but the college girls also had to live chastely if they want to keep living their normal university life. The girls would not be able to study if they were constantly fighting off every guy that found them attractive. Neither would the seminarians be able to study if they were constantly running after every attractive girl they saw.

Now let’s not think that the need to live chastity only applies to those living in Rome. Think about a normal company with men and women employees. Nothing would get done if the men and women couldn’t control themselves at the office. Not to mention the effect it would have on their families and lives outside of work, but even the company would suffer from a blatant lack of chastity. Either companies would have to limit themselves to only hiring men or only hiring women – neither option seems viable.

Apparently, both for seminarians in Rome and for normal workers in companies around the world, chastity makes the living of their normal lives possible. In short, chastity makes the world go round.